Conductor cord attachment



May 177 932- c. BURKHARDT CONDUCTOR CORD ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 26, 1929 f ,Wfl

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Patented May 17, 1932 lII'ED STATES CHNDOS RKHARDT, 0F CANTON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOOVER COMPANY, A

PATENT oFFlcE Y CORPORATION 0F OHIO coNUCTon com) ATTACHMENT This invention has to do withv attachments for electrical Connections, and particularly to structures for attaching to a tool handle or other member. having a wall, the cord or cable' containing the Wires by ,which an electrical connectionis established. It -is the usual practice to incorporate wires in a round, flexible cable of soft rubber and, at that end of the cable adjacent to the attachment fixtures, to provide a cord strain relief form/of a relatively stiff helical spring surrounding the cord and offering suilicient resistance tol bending to prevent bends of' tl1e.cord which would be sharp enough to break the wires therein.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a suitable structure for anchoring the end of the cable and the eo-rd strain relief member.

A further object of the invention is to pro' vide such a structure which will permit t e cord and its strain relief member to be readily attached to or detached from the'tool or other walled member. g

A still further object is to provide such a structure which can be economically manufactured, which will be eflicient and durable in use, which will be light in Weight, and which will be substantially flush withl the Wall to which the cord is attached, so as to present no unsightly or encumbering projec- A still further object of the invention and various novel features will be apparent from the following specification, when considered in view of the disclosure of the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a central, vertical, longitudinal. section of a tubular handle, showing an embodiment of the invention.

Fig. 2 is an exploded view showing, in vertical section, certain of the parts shown in Fig. 1; and

- Figs. Sand l'are plan views showing certain of the parts in detail.

The invention is herein disclosed as embodied in a structure attached to a tubular handle, such as might beused in a suction cleaner, soldering iron, or other portable tool, but it will be understood that the invention -indicated generally by the numeral 15,

is eojually applicable for the attachment of a cord to' the cover plate of an outlet'box, or

wherever it is desired to attach a cord to a flat or substantially flat wall.

As shown in Fig. tubular and provided with a lateral opening 12 closed by a cover plate 13, which is secured in place by screws 14. In order to facilitate the assembling of a switch of the tumbler typ an having an operating lever 16, such switch is mounted upon details of construction and mounting of such switch constituting no part of the invention.

One of the wires 17 of the flexible cord 18,

is connected to the switch 15, and the lother is connected to a motor or other device, an additional lead thereto being provided, as usual, from the other side of the switch=` A cup shaped socket member 19 is provided within the tubular member 11, and has Van inwardly projecting annular flange 20 atits inner end, and an outwardly extending flange 21 for engagement with the wall of the cover plate13. The socket member 19 is threaded internally adjacent its open end to receive the tubular securing nut 22, by which the cord strain relief member 23 is anchored in. place. The member 23 is formed of relatively stiff Wire, woundy into a helix of such diameter as to receive loosely the cord 18, the successive turns adjacent its fixed end beingsubstantially in contact, and the last two turns being of slightly increased diameter as shown in the drawings, to constitute in effect an anchoring flange 24. A bushing 125 of soft rubber, or similar material, is provided to surround closely the cord 18 and fit within the socket member 19, such bushing being preferably split at one point to facilitate assembly. The securing member or nut 22 has a tubular externally threaded end portion 26 which engages the widened end turns 24 ofthe cord strain relief member 23, as itis screwed into the socket member 19, and compresses the rubthe end'of the cord= 23 and the flange 20.2'

to the plate 13, but also, by distorting the rub- 1 the handle or base 11 is thelcover plate as shown, thel the cord.

ber bushing 25 into binding engagement with the surface of'the oord 18 ,`.frictionally grips the cord so as to secure it in place. l c

The securing member 22 is preferably prois vided with a hexagonal portion 27 to adapt it 4 for manipulation by a wrench, and the opening through the member is rounded as shown at 28 s o that the helical spring member 23 and the enclosed cord 18 will be reinforced lo thereby but Will be prevented from bendingr over too sharp anedge. It will be apparent that, when`the socket member 19 andthe nut 22 are in threaded engagement as shown they are vsecured to the plate 13, which is engaged l5 between flanges on such members, but it is usually preferable to securethe socket member 19,tothe underside of the plate 13, and tabs 29 may be provided on the flange 21 to facilitate securing of the socket member 19 20 by spot welding or in some other suitable manner. v

The securing member 22 presents n0 cumbersome projection above the surface of the cover plate 13, appearing much like a llet about the base of the spring member 23, and the part-s, including the switch and the cover plate, may be readily assembled with the cord to form a uni-t which may be readily and quickly connected to thefhandle or tool 11'.

30 The spring member 23 and the'cord 18 will be eiiiciently anchored but may be readily released if desired, and the structure is not only eiiicient but includes fewparts and can be economically manufactured.

I claim:

1. In combination with a base member and a flexible conductor cord, of imeans for anchoring the cord lto the base member com prising a socket member. within said base 40 member and having an abutment therein, a

flexible tubular'reinforcing member having. a terminal flange received within said socket member, a bushing between said flange and said abutment, and means cooperating with 5 said socket member and engaging said ange to compress said ybushing into frictional engagement with the cord.

2. In combination with a base member and aflexible conductor cord, of means for anchoring the cord to the base member, com-v prising a socket member within uthe base member and having an abutment therein, a helical spring reinforcing member surround# ing the cord'and having a terminal turn en- "5 larged and received within said socket member, distortable means about the cord between said enlarged turn and said abutment, and a member surrounding said reinforcing mem ber and -in threaded engagement with said socket member `for compressing said distortable means into frictional engagement with 3. combination with a base member and a flexible conductor cord, of means for `an- 35 choring the cord to the base member comneaaeie prising a socket member within the base member and having an abutment therein, a

`helical spring reinforcing member surrounding the cord and having an enlarged portion, gripping means about the cord within said socket member, and a tubular securing member in threaded engagement with said socket member, said securing member engaging the enlarged portion of said reinforcing member to prevent endwise movement thereof and cooperating with said socket member to force said gripping means into engagement with the cord.

' 4. In combination with a casing having a wall ,and a flexible conductor cord, of means for anchoring the cord to the wall compris# reinforcing member and said base flange in to gripping engagement with the cord), said.

socket member and said securing member having flanges on opposite sides of the wall extending laterally from the edge of the `opening therethrough.

5. In combination with a casing having a wall and a flexible conductor cord, of means for anchoring the cord to the wall comprising a socket member secured to the' inner side of the wall and having an inwardly extendl ing flange at its inner end, a tubular reinforcing member surrounding the cord and having aterminal flange, gripping means about the cord within said socket member, and a tubular -securing member engaging the flange on4 said reinforcing member and in threaded engagement with said socket member for forcing said gripping means into engagement with the cord.l

Si ned at North Canton, in the county of Star and State of Ohio, this 16th day of September, A. D., V1929.

CHANDOS BURKHARDT.' 

